Controlling high cholesterol

In this month's issue

Taste.com.au - February 2011
Eat in, eat out, eat well. Look for the taste liftout on Tuesdays in the Herald Sun, Courier Mail and Daily Telegraph, on Wednesdays in the Adelaide Advertiser, and in Perth’s Sunday Times.

One in every two Australian adults has high cholesterol. Accredited Nutritionist Nicole Senior says changing your diet can bring it down.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance essential for life. It forms part of every cell membrane and is used to make hormones. Problems arise when the level of cholesterol in the blood becomes too high (over 5.5 in Australia). Too much bad cholesterol in the blood is a major risk for coronary heart disease because it sticks to the insides of blood vessels and contributes to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). The Heart Foundation calculates high blood cholesterol is responsible for almost 12% of all deaths in Australia.

"There is bad cholesterol called LDL and good cholesterol called HDL. It is good to lower LDL while maintaining higher HDL".

Who gets high cholesterol?

Older and overweight people generally have higher cholesterol levels but it can happen to anyone -even teenagers if they are overweight. The only way to know is to have a cholesterol test. Having the whole family enjoying a heart-friendly diet can prevent cholesterol problems occurring in children and teenagers and sets them up with healthy habits for life.

Trans fats

Trans-fats in foods are bad because they increase bad LDL cholesterol and lower the good HDL cholesterol as well. Trans-fats are found naturally in the fat from meat and dairy but also in commercial baking fats used to make cakes, pies and pastries and many deep frying oils used to cook fast food. Following a healthy diet including lean meat and low fat dairy foods and limiting fatty treats will help limit how many trans-fats you eat.

Which foods lower cholesterol?

After weight loss, the most potent dietary weapon against cholesterol is plant sterols. Plant sterols are found in small amounts in whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. They reduce cholesterol absorption from the gut and thus reduce cholesterol in the blood. Plant sterols are added to some margarine spreads and milk. Consuming around 2g of sterols a day can reduce cholesterol by an average of 10%. This amount is found in one rounded tablespoon (25g) of plant sterol-enriched spread or 3 cups of plant sterol enriched milk.

What about salt?

Salt (or sodium) in the diet has no effect on cholesterol levels, however maintaining ideal blood pressure is also critical for a healthy heart and choosing foods with less salt helps significantly.

Cholesterol myths busted

Avoid eggs -The Heart Foundation (Australia) says all Australians can enjoy up to 6 eggs a week. Although eggs contain dietary cholesterol, they are low in saturated fat that most influences blood cholesterol levels.

Avoid shellfish - Although shellfish contains dietary cholesterol, they do not increase cholesterol because they are low in saturated fat and usually eaten infrequently.

Foods labelled ‘cholesterol-free' lower your cholesterol - Saturated fat in food is the most blood cholesterol-raising food component. Cholesterol-free foods are free of animal fat but can still be high in saturated fat. Common examples are palm and coconut oil.

Only fat people get high cholesterol - It's true that being overweight increases cholesterol levels, but it can affect anyone - especially if you have family members with high cholesterol. Talk to your doctor about a cholesterol test.

Only men need to worry about cholesterol - Men experience high cholesterol at a younger age but women soon catch up after their menopause and so does their risk of coronary heart disease. Controlling cholesterol is vital for both men and women.

Nicole Senior is an Accredited Nutritionist and author of Eat to beat cholesterol and Heart Food.